Letters
by Elzz
Summary: A series of progressive short chapters with word prompts, about how much can change with the simplicity of exchanging words. Akise/Yukiteru, the rating may change. AU, I guess.
1. Letters

**I've been seeing a few of these 'progressive short chapters with word prompts', so i decided to do one for myself. don't expect too much - i'm trying to do something slightly productive with my time :'3 reviewing would be nice, and help me as to what i need to improve on. thanks :3**

**hope you enjoy anyway.**

* * *

_Hello Yukiteru-kun,_  
_How are you doing? It's been a while since I last sent letter because well - you know why. I may be taking a little risk in sending this, but I'm hoping those wounds have healed with these years._  
_Seven years... it really has been a while. Though, that's hardly any time for me._  
_But it had definitely been long enough for me to wonder how you're getting on. I've actually taken a path as a freelance artist and writer, it doesn't bring me a fortune and neither have I gained any recognition, but I'll get by._  
_What have you been doing nowadays? I hope you and Yuno are getting along well._  
_Akise._

Yukiteru was laying by himself on his bed whilst he smiled distantly at the simple conversation from his old friend. Yuno was out getting groceries. Yukiteru had hidden the letter away that morning once he'd seen the handwriting on the cover; he knew that Yuno would still be annoyed to know that they were making contact, even after seven years, contrary to Akise's belief.  
Yukiteru wasted no time in picking himself up and plonking down at the nearest desk, seizing a pen and piece of paper.

_Akise-kun!_  
_It was so nice to hear from you; it really has been forever! Funnily enough, I've been wondering a lot about how you're doing too. So how are you?_  
_I'm doing alright, I guess. Life is a little repetitive for me.. it's just not going anywhere. I'm bored a lot. Which was another reason why it was great to receive your letter! _  
_But sadly, contrary to your opinion - I don't think Yuno will be okay with this. Even after so long.. she hasn't changed. Ah well, just make sure we keep it secret :)_  
_Wow, I didn't know you were so creative! I mean, I wouldn't put it past you, but, that one poem you showed to me really was good, until... yeah. Sorry, you get what I mean. Where can I see some of your stuff?_  
_Honestly? I'm not really doing much with myself lately. Yuno insists on going out and getting jobs herself, she doesn't let me do much for myself... whatever._  
_It'a nice to hear that you seem to be going places!_  
_From Yukiteru :)_

He sealed the paper in an envelope and printed the address which Akise had gave him onto the front.  
Their conversation was so simple, but that was more than enough, just the beginning of these_ letters_.


	2. Lonely

**I think I might write about feelings a little too much when I get started. I think this fic is going to be very much oriented around feelings until the climax /haha whoops immature/, so please bear with how boring my writing is, but somehow it always ends up that way. sorry o.O**

**reviews on how to make it better would be nice.**

**i hope i'm not failing too much with trying to be artistic.**

**enjoy :3**

* * *

On the 6th day of that tense week, there was the usual 'tap tap' of the postbox, and the usual rush of Akise's footsteps from the living room to the front door.  
He gasped and shook a little in anticipation upon the sight of a handwritten letter with his own name printed on the front lying on the doormat. His hands shook as he took hold of the letter and messily tore the opening off.  
_Calm down, Akise Aru, you idiot,_ he told himself. _You're acting like a lovestruck schoolgirl._  
He took a small, deep breath, closing his eyelids for a second before unfolding the wad of paper which was enclosed. Firstly, he beamed at the messy scrawl which he recognised as Yukiteru's handwriting. Each character appeared uneven, and even though it was a silly thing to smile at, Akise chuckled at it like an idiot anyway, holding that smile with every word he read, every quality which he could infer from Yukiteru's optimistic outlook. It was only once he read it twice that he realised there was a single tear upon his appled cheek, (the product of grinning so much), as he had found the letter so terribly melancholic.  
He wasn't too surprised that Yuno would still be hostile about Yukiteru's interaction with others, and even less surprised that she'd definitely be hostile about his interactions with Yukiteru, considering what she knew and had witnessed of Akise's..._ feelings_ towards Yukki.  
Akise hated that Yuno controlled Yukiteru's life, hated that he was bored of life, hated that he wasn't his. Akise was a complete liar in his letter. He wasn't getting by, not for so long without Yukiteru, and he didn't hope that Yukki was getting along with Yuno, and Akise knew he was becoming selfish, something which he'd previously attempted to avoid.  
He slowly wrote out his reply, trying with all his might not to write_ I need you_ or_ please come back_ or _I love you so much_.  
Yukiteru did not love him back and would never be his and was much too far from his grasp and Akise suddenly realised how horribly_ lonely_ he was.

* * *

This past week, Gasai Yuno noticed that Yukki had been acting a little strange. Every kiss that she gave him was barely returned, he had lost his appetite, started having nightmares which didn't lessen no matter how much she comforted him, and when she asked him what was wrong, he simply said,  
"I don't know. My chest hurts. Maybe it's indigestion." Yuno had told him to go to the doctors but he refused strongly every time. She had even caught him sitting on his bed, face in palms. He was in the same position an hour later, when he claimed to himself,  
"I can't tell what's so wrong here.."  
Yuno hated to admit, even with herself there for comfort, that his symptoms radiated the feel that he was terribly_ lonely_.


	3. Reminisce

**why is yukiteru so clueless about his own feelings all the time. what a silly. **

**i hope you all enjoy **

**thank you I. O. Heaven for that lovely review! I wasn't going to write any more until i received that :'3**

* * *

Their exchanging of letters was becoming somewhat of a habit over the next two months. They received letters from eachother around two times a week, two times which Yukiteru couldn't deny were the highlight of his week. Within seven years, Yukiteru definitely felt from the words inside Akise's letters, that Akise had changed. Or changed the way he approached Yukiteru, at least. He didn't seem to be as comfortable with what he said, and with each letter, more and more sentences had been scribbled out until they were unintelligible, then never mentioned. Yukiteru failed to believe that Akise had been making simple spelling mistakes. When they were fifteen, Akise had always teased and even flirted with Yukiteru, but that was no longer the case in these letters. But he did feel it, he definitely felt Akise there, in the sentences behind those meshes of black ink - he felt Akise. In some way, it made Yukiteru wonder if Akise was feeling just as lonely as he was. He'd become more.. secretive, was the word.  
Akise would not let Yukiteru see his writing or paintings anymore, and would not give a legitimate reason, and sometimes he would not answer the questions Yukiteru inquired of his personal life - though Yukiteru was sure that those answers were scribbled over with a ballpoint pen.  
Despite it all, that had never stopped Akise's letters being the source of extreme butterflies which were infinitely more than what any of Yuno's kisses had given him. Yukiteru still did not understand why. The words were simple. 'How are you?', 'did you watch that program on TV?', 'I got locked outside my house this morning'.  
Such trivial things, yet Yukiteru wanted to know everything, absolutely everything about Akise until he finally managed to pull the courage to write,

_Why won't you tell me everything?_

and that was the only thing which he wrote.  
The reply actually came earlier than usual, and only read,

_Do you remember when we were fifteen? _

He stowed the letter along with the others in a box at the back of his wardrobe, and trekked his way downstairs. He took an outing into the garden to think.  
When they were fifteen? Lots happened when they were fifteen.  
He hung out with Akise, Yuno, Hinata, Kousaka and Mao. He had his first date with Yuno. They all went rollerskating and Yukiteru fractured his wrist and ended up in hospital. He and Akise saw their favourite band live, and he.. had his first kiss. _That must be it_.  
His first kiss belonged to Akise, and that's why they'd parted ways. It wasn't that Yukiteru wanted to leave, but that Yuno became dangerous towards Akise.  
Akise had written him a poem once. After Yuno witnessed that kiss, she'd found the poem in Yukiteru's room and Yukiteru then found it at the bottom of his paper shredder. Yuno had forced them apart, and they both knew it, though they only hinted towards that event in their first two letters to eachother.  
Yukiteru had no idea how he was going to let Akise know that it was fine, he could say anything he liked to Yukiteru and that he never regretted kissing him, without feeling terribly guilty around Yuno. Yukiteru did love her - but not romantically. He'd totally forgotten the feeling of romance, and he wasn't sure if he'd recognise it if romance kicked him in the face anymore. He wondered where it had gone...  
All he could do now, was_ reminisce_.


End file.
